Zaiko Langa Langa (also spelled Zaïko Langa Langa and in other variants)[1] is a popular Contemporary band from DR Congo. Their music and creativity has greatly influenced Congolese and African popular culture like no other band has done. Voted and crowned band of the century in DR Congo " Zaiko remain the most influential band ever in the history of African music. The word "Zaiko" is a portmanteau for the lingala phrase Zaire ya bankoko, meaning "Zaire of our ancestors", where "Zaire" must be read as a reference to the river by that name, now called Congo. The meaning of the phrase "Langa Langa" is controversial; according to the band's website, it means "marvelous" or "almighty".[2]

Founded in the early 1969 by D.V. Moanda, Marcelin Delo, Henry Mongombe, Olemi Eshar-Eshar dem'belina and Andre Bita, Zaiko Langa Langa survived into the 2000s (decade), and have been largely popular through the decades. Because of their "rebel" and "hippie" attitude, and their innovative approach to soukous, they became a symbol of the new generations of post-independence Zaire,[3] and are sometimes compared to the Rolling Stones for their appeal on the Congolese youth.[4]

The sound of Zaiko Langa Langa was revolutionary with respect to the soukous tradition. They adopted a more up-tempo beat, abandoned wind instruments and emphasized snare drums and lead electric guitars (and eventually also synthesizers). The percussion rhythms were adapted from traditional Congolese music and the sebene became more prominent.[9] Their vocal lines made a large use of the call and response schemes. Their frenetic stage shows featured a frontline of four singers.

Despite new internal quarrels and personnel changes with the departure of Evoloko, Bozi and Djo Mali in 1981 to form Langa Langa Stars and joined a year later by Roxy Tshimpaka, Zaiko Langa Langa were very successful throughout the early 1980s.

After the departure of the three above mentioned Zaiko will[when?] regroup and come up with new innovations that will forever change Congolese Pop and music culture. Just like they did in 1973 with Cavasha.

That new era will also be marked by the arrival of Dindo Yogo as a singer in the band. Dindo Yogo a very experienced singer will have a huge impact in the singing section of the band. Dindo Yogo influence will be so great that he will do 80% of all solo vocals in all the songs that were released after his arrival.
Zaiko was at the pinnacle of it success and released albums that one after another will have big success.The band was touring Europe and Africa and was the first Zairian band to visit Japan. At the end of the decade at the height of their glory and having establish themselves as legends in Zaire, the band experienced another major split, between the two leaders of the group Nyoka Longo and Bimi Ombale. The band was divided in two with every musician choosing his camp between the two leaders who were part of Zaiko since its creation. With Meridjo, Bapius, Matima, Zamuangana who were part of Zaiko from its creation staying with Nyoka Longo followed by Dindo Yogo and the band was called then Zaiko Langa Langa Nkolo Mboka, and was considered as the original Zaiko, to differentiate it from the band of Bimi Ombale which was called Zaiko Langa Langa Familia Dei and had Lengi Lenga, Ilo Pablo, JP Buse and the rest of the musicians that came in the 1980s. Later on, N'Yoka Longo's group reacquired the original name "Zaiko Langa Langa", which has maintained until today. N'Yoka Longo is[when?] still the leader of the group.

In 2002, Zaiko performed in the mythic arena Zenith of Paris, France. More than 6.000 fans attended. This was considered by many as the renaissance or rebirth of Zaiko. In fact, as earlier as 1988, Zaiko, being very popular at that time, made plan to perform in Zenith but the great split that occurred in the band stopped it for doing so.

Zaiko spent 6 and half years in Europe (2002–09). Its headquarters ware in Bruxelles, Belgium. But the band gave more concerts in France and other countries around Europe.
During that time in Europe, Zaiko released three albums: Eureka (2002), Empreintes (2004), Recontres (2006). In the last album, Nyoka Longo invited many former Zaiko musicians like Malage, Beniko Popolipo; and a retired Congolese musician Tony Dee Bokito. He also recruited from Kinshasa, the son of late Dindo yogo, Lola Muana.

During the time the Band was in Europe, Nyoka Longo, in 2006, charged Lola Muana, who was then in Kinshasa, to form a group that would promote Zaiko music in D.R.Congo. Lola recruited and formed a subsidiary group of Zaiko called Les Ganers de Zaiko. Bapius Muaka, a longtime guitarist bass player who left the group during a minor split of 1999, joined the Ganers too.

Since his recruitment in Zaiko, Lola Muana was regarded by many as the principal heir of Zaiko. But in 2009, he was forced to quit the group because of his proposal to have a valid work contract with the group. His request was denied by the President of Zaiko, N'Yoka Longo Mvula Jossart. The son of Evoloko, Shou Lay, who backed Lola's request left the group too. In November 2011, Lola Muana was reinstated in the group.

Zaiko Langa Langa were both influential in their own right and through their many spin-offs. Most of these maintained a strong link to the original formation, and this is often reflected by the names they adopted. The groups that somehow belong to the Zaiko Langa Langa "franchise" are collectively known as the "Clan Langa Langa". This includes:

^The name is not reported and spelled consistently. Some album covers (including those of Les merveilles du passé and Zekete Zekete) report the first word as Zaiko, while others use a diaeresis (i.e., "Zaïko"). The official web site of the band has both variants. "Langa Langa" is sometimes written "Langa-Langa" (for example on the cover of Le beau temps, Zaire-Ghana, Pacha Labaran and the Le meilleurs souvenirs series). As was common with soukous recordings, many album covers report modified versions of the band name with leading epithets such as "Tout-Choc" or "Anti-Choc" (or both: "Tout-Choc Anti-Choc Zaiko Langa Langa").

^Stewart, in Rumba on the River (p. 158), claims that "Langa Langa" means "to get drunk" in lingala (see [1]). Broughton, op cit, says Langa Langa is the name of an ethnic group.